Trine Thorvaldsen

Work environment and health in the fishing fleet: results from a survey amongst Norwegian fishers

BACKGROUNDnFishery is an important industry in Norway. Compared to other industries the number of occupational accidents is high. Fishers are exposed to a range of unfavourable working conditions, but there is limited research-based knowledge about the interaction between working conditions and health. The aim of the article is to study fishers 1) work-related exposures and health complaints, 2) sickness absence, 3) subjective perception of health status and 3) level of job satisfaction.nnnMATERIALS AND METHODSnData was gathered through a telephone survey. The survey included questions about exposure, health complaints, health status and job satisfaction. Methods for analysis were descriptive statistics and relative risk (RR).nnnRESULTSnA total of 830 full-time fishers were interviewed. Coastal fishers are more exposed to factors such as climatic (RR = 1.546, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.311-1.823), ergonomic (RR = 1.539, 95% CI 1.293-1.833) and processing (RR = 2.119, 95% CI 1.847-2.431), compared to other groups of fishers. Coastal fishers are also more likely to experience musculoskeletal problems (RR = 1.623, 95% CI 1.139-2.314), sickness absence (RR = 1.337, 95% CI 1.081-1.655) and to perceive their own health as poor (RR = 2.155, 95% CI 1.119-4.152). Purse sein fishers are less exposed to climatic (RR = 0.777, 95% CI 0.633-0.953), ergonomic (RR = 0.617, 95% CI 0.487-0.783) and processing (RR = 0.292, 95% CI 0.221-0.385) factors and are less likely to experience sickness absence (RR = 0.635, 95% CI 0.479-0.840). In terms of job satisfaction, 99% if our respondents enjoy their work.nnnCONCLUSIONSnNorwegian fishers have a high degree of job satisfaction and overall good health. Challenges regarding health complaints and exposures in the working environment were identified. This may be helpful for the industry, showing where measures should be implemented to prevent exposure, illness and sickness absence. Findings may also serve as a basis for future intervention studies aimed at promoting healthy working environments for fishers, especially how to improve vessels and develop user-friendly technology to reduce risk of injuries and strain.

Accountability as a Governance Paradox in the Norwegian Salmon Aquaculture Industry

The aquaculture industry in Norway currently represents 60% (US

Development of a Simulator Training Platform for Fish Farm Operations

5.4 billion) of Norwegian seafood exports. Of these, farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) represents over 80% (850,000 tonnes). These production levels are driven by a strong and growing demand for farmed fish, and has a stated political goal of increased growth by a factor of 5 by 2050 in Norway alone. However, growth is potentially more challenging without the public support and trust in the governance regime that regulates the industry. The theoretical framework of this paper rests on accountability theory, whereby the research team highlighted and tested the paradox between the ideal and the actual practices on a group of stakeholders representing the aquaculture industry and municipal, regional and sector management in northern Norway relative to their interactions and need thereof – versus the expectations of the public. The findings of a workshop were used to develop a conceptual model and test our theory on stakeholder driven future scenarios using a combination of systems thinking and fuzzy cognitive mapping. We found that stakeholders and management alike in a workshop setting valued flexibility of legislation and expert opinions highly, whereby regulatory standardization is not prioritized – in line with soft accountability. The industry acknowledged, though, that the public perception and negative media attention of the industry, in turn depended on hard accountability.

The importance of common sense: How Norwegian coastal fishermen deal with occupational risk

The Norwegian aquaculture industry is accident prone compared to other industries and employees report a high number of near-accidents. Furthermore, escape of fish is a challenge for the industry. There is a potential for increased safety for both humans and fish if operators can practice operations in a safe environment. Existing simulators are not suited for this context. This paper presents results from a research and development project aimed at developing a realistic simulator-based training platform for demanding fish farm operations. Three objectives guided the development process. First, a description of operations, aimed at identifying challenges and training needs, which formed the basis for selecting training scenarios well suited for aquaculture. Second, the development of mathematical models that could be used in the simulator were developed, and finally, a curriculum for training course modules to complete the platform. Platform thus points to the integration of the simulator and the practical and theoretical education of operators. In this article, the first and second part of the process are presented and discussed.